Cap'n Dan's Daughter

ulation as to how soon they might expect a reply from the Nantucket female and whether o

as well as the next feller. If I thought there was any need of it, I'd just drop him a hint myself, but there ain't, so I shan't put my oa

his best to forget it, but he looked so guilty when Captain Perez returned at supper time that that individual suspected something, made his friend confes

ant to, but we thought all hands ought to be on deck wh

sneered Captain Jerry. "Anybody 'd think it had a million dolla

the end of the envelope. The inclosure was another sheet of note paper like the first

JEREMIA

ay, you look honest, and I am willing to risk money enough to carry me to Orham and back, though the dear land knows I ain't got none to throw away. If we don't agree to sign articles, I s

rs t

HA B.

ou was a Methodist, but we can't have eve

note. Captain Eri whistled softly, scratched his head, and then read t

aimed. "She don't lo

t, that's a fact,"

burst forth

with sarcasm, "after gittin' me into a scrape

rry," interrupted Captain Eri.

seen, and might be a hundred years old, for all I know, comin' down here to-morrow

nk of it, the more I like the woman's way of doin' things. She's got sense, there's no doubt of that. You can'

n' it! I've got ways enough to spend my mon

n fares," said Captain Perez, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I think same as Er

her find out where I am! I cal'la

ou want to, but you have got to help us see the thing through. I wish myself that we hadn't been quite so pesky anxious to give her the latitude and longitud

obeyed orders. Even the rebellious Jerry, who had a profound

hy it was, but he had a notion that she was about forty and slim. Captain Jerry, who was in a frame of mind where agreement with anyone was out of th

e that he had been at work upon at odd times ever since he gave up sea-going. It had never been completed for the very good reason that when one part was finished the Captain tore another part to pieces, and began ove

incipally confining his musical ef

m along

, stor

ad my day's

w minutes and then went to consult the

be doing something. His appetite was poor, and he actually forgot to feed Lorenzo, a hitherto unheard-of slight, and one

f the old man was ill. Captain Eri would have stopped to find out, but Captain Perez insisted that it could be done just as well when they came back, and

ous good-evening. The oily smoothness of Mr. Saunders' voice cannot be described with plain pen and ink; it gurgled with sweetness, lik

Saunders continued to talk of the weather, the fishing, and the cra

suspicious of a cat-man. You know he's got claws, but you can't tell where he's goin' to use 'em. When a feller like that comes slidin' around an

from around the corner of the station. The one coach stopped directly under the lights, and they could see the passengers as they came down

her hand was a canvas extension case, on the side of which was bla

unding spectacle for a full th

d. "BLACK! BLACK! Run! Run for

d going at a rate which bid fair to establish a record for his age. The others

every short cut between the station and their home. As they came in

ll founder. I wouldn't run another step

only after a struggle that Capt

n't do it! There ain't no use askin' me; I won

soothingly. "Nobody wants you to. There

edge! She'll ask where I live and come righ

t to bound away again, when Ca

ldredge's shanty and hide there till she gits tir

ow close to the house. In a few moments the three were inside, with a sawhorse against the door. Then

pect. Wait till the rest of the town finds out about this; they'll do the laffin' then, and you won't feel so f

nantly. "I don't see much to laff at. O

he cobwebbed window, saw the black shape of the "depot wagon" rock pas

ning-room door, Pere

didn't. Wh

uestion. Nobody locks doors

for us to do but to stay here for a while, and then, if she ain't gone, one of us 'll have to go up and tell her she won't suit and

to grass! You fellers got me into this scrape, and now

for an occasional chuckle from the provoking Eri. Perez

queer name for a

named White," said Captain Jerry, "and he

cooks, Jerry," slyly remarked Eri.

minutes crept slowly by. After a long while they heard someo

to our house, too. My land! I hope he didn't go

gerly. "That's so! so 'ti

from the door, had opened the latter a little way, an

n a puzzled sort of way, but evidently could not m

be called a whispered yell or a shouted whisper. "M

t to Ralph's mind, but that was sufficient; he came down the hill,

d. "Why, hello, Capt

his arm, pulled him into the shanty and shut the door. C

you acquainted with Cap'n Perez and Cap'n Jerry,

g hands and heard whispered voices e

of layin' to, as yer might say, waitin' to git our bearin's. We ain't ou

ar it. To tell the truth, he had begun to think that someth

t jest yit, if you don't mind. It does sound so pesky ridic'lous, although it ain't, when you

te, as you suggested the other day. The housekeeper-I suppose it w

upted by a ho

erry. "I knew it! And you sai

', Mr. Hazeltine, this woman you thought was the housekeeper? Did she

very much at home. T

e ain't! She's goin' to stay there and wait, if it's forever. She's got too good a thing. Jest as like 's not, M'lissy Bust

t your house isn't black. She's as white as I a

e trio in chorus. T

w, honest and true

se it's

have prob'ly rared up some. As 'tis now, I cal'late I'd thank him for lettin' me off so easy. You'll have to excuse us to-night, I'm afraid. We're in

g else to do. He promised secrecy, promised faithfully to call again later in the week, and then, the sawhorse having been removed by Captain Perez,

the darky took the wrong satchel when she got up to come out of the car. That woman at the hou

forever, and that he would not see the candidate from Nantucket, nor any other candidate. No persuasion cou

if you're so set on it,"

ll her you're bashful, but jest dyin' to be married, a

rned on his hee

"Don't you do it! Don't you tell her that!

disgusted tone. "You hadn't ought

ght to the dining-room door. Drawing a long breath, he opened it and stepped in

stoutness, with a pair of keen eyes behind brass-rimmed spectacles, and was dressed in a black "al

Cap'n Burges

ly. "My name is Hedge. I'm a sort of

ow. I'm

y expectant; the Captain very ner

e Captain slid into his own rocker. "The boy on the depot wag

wed vengeance on his chum's grandne

had, I don't think it would have made much diff'rence. I've lived long

out things for one's self was a good "idee." Then, after another fidgety silence, he observed that it was a fine evening. The

about somethin' besides fine evenin's. I've got to be lookin' up a hotel or boardin' house or somewheres to stay to-night, and I can't wait much longer. I jed

sed than ever. However, he felt that something had to be done

ter all right, and, to tell you the truth,

why didn't you let me know it? Such a time as I

lain truth. Slowly he told the story of the colored woman and the

rky. She was settin' right in the next seat to me, and she had a shut-over bag consid'rable like mine, and when she got up to git out, she took mine by mi

upsot that I dunno's he'll stir from there tonight. Jerr

crous nature of the affair and the Captain because of the

rom folks that wants to git married; I ain't so hard up for a man as all that comes to. Next thing, I didn't come down here with my mind made up to marry Cap'n Burgess, not by no means.

see, there's prob'ly a long story on both sides, and if you'll excuse me I'll go dow

if 'tain't too much trouble, you walk up there with me and I'll stay there to-night and to-morrer I'll come down here,

w carefully tied on a black, old-fashioned bonnet, picked up a fat, woo

gs and comings thereon as did her escort, and the conversation was salty in the extreme. It developed that the Nantucket lady had a distant relative who was in the life-saving se

and lodging, she was shown up to her room. Captain Eri walked home, absorbed in meditation. Whatever his thoughts were they were not disagreeable, for he smile

ty. Captain Jerry, however, was very much awake and demanded to be

," emphatically declared the disgruntled one,

the enthusiasm of

ou'll say so, too, when you see her. There ain't nothin' hity-tity about her, but she's got more common-sense

t without protestation from the pair who